


Cool Down

by lovesikkle



Category: Rockman X | Mega Man X
Genre: XZero but implied, robot meditation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:08:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27192196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovesikkle/pseuds/lovesikkle
Summary: In which X and Zero take a little time for themselves.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 8





	Cool Down

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MeganauraZX](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeganauraZX/gifts).



> So I wrote this for mine and my girlfriend's one month anniversary. They really love XZero and meditation, so I figured this would be a fun little surprise for them. Happy anniversary, babe!

_ You’re okay. _

“I’m okay...,” X whispered, exhaling slowly. “I’m okay.”

He took in another deep breath, just as slow as the last. Another Maverick was down, but it felt like with every mission, a part of his sanity left him.

_ Breathe in. Breathe out. _

He let his mind fog over, clearing his caches of the images of destroyed hulls and shattered circuit boards. He tried to focus on imagining a pulse running through him. Imagining that he had a real, beating heart inside of that chest of his. That the wires in his servos were veins, with real, ruby red blood running through them. He tried to turn a blind eye to the fact that mortality to him meant being shattered beyond repair or wiped clean with a single overwrite. He wanted to die a peaceful death. A death of old age, perhaps. That sounded the most peaceful to him. He tried to focus on that idea. The idea of peace. Not just in a sense of the Maverick outbreak finally blowing over. Peace in a more... Inner sense. That was why he’d picked up meditation in the first place. He hoped that maybe if he could confront the turmoil at his core, the turmoil of the world would settle down at least a little bit.

_ Breathe in. Breathe- _

“X?” A voice chimed softly from the doorway.

"Zero?” X asked, pulled rather rudely and abruptly from his state of concentration.

“Am I interrupting something?” Zero asked quietly. “You look like you’re thinking really hard about something. I can practically hear your processors buzzing.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” X said, getting to his feet. “I’m just... Forget it. What’s up?”

Zero smiled at him. That true, radiant smile that he only gave to X. “I wanted to know if you wanted to hit the training sims,” he suggested. “I know you’ve had a long day. Figured it would get your mind off of it.”

“After what you did to Armored Armadillo?” X asked, an eyebrow raised.

Zero groaned. “Oh, that was one time!” He cried. “Seriously, it’ll never happen again.”

X chuckled. “Sure it won’t,” he said. “And as much as I’d like to take you up on the training sim offer, I’d rather not get my Buster out again. You know how I feel about all the fighting.”

“Ooh, yeah, I forgot about that... Look at me, only thinking about myself again,” Zero said, placing a hand on his head. “I gotta work on that. Sorry. What about dinner later? Food always cheers you up.”

X smiled. “I can do dinner later,” he said. “Meet in the cafeteria at seven?”

“I dig,” Zero said. “Sorry I walked in on you. I’ll do better about that next time.”

“Don’t sweat it,” X said.

“Anyways, what were you doing, really? I can’t imagine you were just sitting on the floor for fun.” 

“Well,” X said slowly. “You’re gonna think it’s weird.”

Zero scoffed. “When do I ever judge you for doing your human things?” He asked playfully.

“How’d you know it was a human thing?” X retaliated.

“It’s always a human thing with you, X,” Zero replied. “You’re like the anti-Rosie.”

X sighed defeatedly. “I was meditating,” he admitted. “It just helps me cool down, you know?”

Zero blinked. “That’s a thing we can do?” He asked.

X nodded. “I’m not very good at it, but I think it’s helping a little. I feel less anxious now,” he replied.

“Can I try?” Zero asked.

Now it was X’s turn to hesitate. “I mean... Sure?” He replied. “Come on in.”

Zero was always amused by the amount of furniture in X’s room. It wasn’t a very large space to begin with, so the shelves and desk really made the place feel cramped.

“You might wanna take your armor off,” X suggested.

“Oh, right,” Zero said, placing a hand on his chest and dismissing his armor, leaving him in sweat pants and a shirt emblazoned with the Arby’s logo.

“A-Arby’s...?” X stammered.

Zero cocked his head before registering the words. “Oh, yeah,” he said. “Rosie and Axl bought it for me. They have the meats.”

X nodded slowly. “They certainly have the meats,” he said in monotone. “Why don’t we sit down?”

“Right,” Zero said, settling down on the fluffy area rug across from X, crossing his legs.

X took in a deep breath. “I like to breathe when I meditate,” he said. “You just go in and out really slowly. Focus on the way your chest rises and falls. Meditation is all about focus.”

Zero nodded and closed his eyes, mimicking X. Then he started breathing. Very slowly. He had never stopped to focus on the way he moved when he breathed. He found the action of just paying attention to his breathing immediately soothing.

“And then there’s the idea of feeling your heartbeat. Obviously, we can’t do this one for real, but I imagine it’s there anyways. Ba-dump. Ba-dump,” X said, unable to focus on his own meditation while guiding Zero. “Try it.”

“Ba-dump,” Zero said quietly. “Ba-dump.”

“That’s too slow,” X corrected. “Human hearts beat a lot faster than that. It’s more like this.” He set the pace for Zero, and was satisfied when he got a proper mimic of it back. “Just like that. Now focus on those two things and you’re golden.”

Zero’s vocalizations ceased and he focused on the combination of his breathing and his ‘heartbeat.’ The complete lack of thoughts was something so new to him, but something that he found himself picking up easily, and even somewhat enjoying. It felt nice to just be existing in a plane without distractions. He’d grown so used to his mind being overrun with worries that he didn’t even realize he’d become so stressed out until they were gone. He felt, for the first time in his existence, peace. The difference gap peace and relaxation was so much wider than he’d ever imagined. Relaxation was being around X and eating together, but peace was the complete absence of everything besides the bond that they shared.

“Zero?” X asked softly.

Zero snapped out of it with a jolt.

X chuckled. “Sorry. You got really into it, didn’t you?”

Zero blinked a few times. “Yeah,” he responded, coming back to reality.

“Come on, let’s go get dinner. It’s seven already,” X said, gesturing for him to get up and follow him to the cafeteria.

Zero did as he was instructed and they were out the door soon after, still dressed casually. “Hey, X?” He asked. X tilted his head in his direction. “Can we do that again sometime?”


End file.
